Bears backups take care of business in win

It may have taken three men to fill the void, but the Chicago Bears really didn't seem to miss injured running back Matt Forte in Monday night's 22-19 victory over the Chargers in San Diego.

Ka'Deem Carey, the 2014 fourth-round pick, got his first NFL start, and he rushed for 28 yards on 7 carries in his first touches of the 2015 season.

Jeremy Langford, this year's fourth-round pick, got the lion's share of the work in Forte's absence and gained 72 yards on 18 rushes. Langford also caught 3 passes for 70 yards, including a 31-yard pickup on a sensational diving catch in the first quarter.

Six-year veteran Antone Smith, who didn't join the team until Oct. 12, got his first carry as a Bear and picked up 11 yards on the second TD drive.

Their combined efforts produced 109 rushing yards on 29 attempts and allowed the Bears to win the time-of-possession battle, controlling the ball for 33:35 and keeping it out of Philip Rivers' hands.

The effort from the deepest position on the team came as no surprise to coach John Fox.

“Really, it was kind of what we expected (from Langford), and we expected a lot,” Fox said. “Both he and Ka'Deem, and even Antone (Smith) got in there and busted a run for pretty good distance.

“They're pretty good players, and (the game) means a lot to them, and I'm glad that they're on our side.”

Before the knee injury that kept Forte out Monday, the two-time Pro Bowler had missed just one game in the previous three seasons.

Forte has only missed six starts in his eight-year career, and he might not be back in time for Sunday's game in St. Louis against the Rams. Because Forte can become an unrestricted free agent after the season, the 6-foot, 208-pound Langford may be the Bears' future at running back.

”He's dual-purpose,” Fox said of the Michigan State product. “He can catch. The (31-yard) catch he made on the ‘go' route — wide receivers have a tough time on that catch. He's explosive. He can take short runs into longer runs. I thought he had a great night.”

His contributions in the passing game were especially crucial to Langford, considering his dropped pass on the Bears' final possession of the previous week's 23-20 loss to Minnesota.

“That was my whole point, to make up for that play last game,” he said. “You want to forget about those plays. When the coaches are trusting you, and (quarterback Jay) Cutler is trusting you, you have to go out there and make that play.”

Even though Langford immediately won over coaches and teammates with his maturity and work ethic, he saw very limited action behind the workhorse Forte — just 15 carries for 34 yards before the veteran was injured.

Langford said he has waited a long time for an opportunity like he had against the Chargers.

“All my life,” he said. “Especially on Monday Night football. I'm truly blessed to be in this situation.”

Carey, who rushed for 3,814 yards in his final two seasons at Arizona, has had to deal with a frustrating situation.

He got 36 carries and picked up 158 yards (4.4-yard average) as a rookie in the typically limited action that comes with being Forte's backup. And then the 5-foot-10, 207-pounder was pushed farther down the depth chart when the new regime drafted Langford.

But he continued to work hard in practice, which hasn't been lost on the coaching staff.

“We watch these guys every day in practice,” Fox said. “We evaluate every play they play, whether it's in practice or in the games. Typically it's hard to get three backs touches. We had some good players backing (Forte) up, and they came through (Monday) night.”

• Sixth-round draft pick Tayo Fabuluje has been suspended without pay for the next four games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The 6-foot-6, 353-pound tackle out of Texas Christian is eligible to return to the active roster Monday, Dec. 7. He played briefly as a substitute in Games 4-7 but was inactive Monday night against the Chargers.

Fabuluje issued a statement through the Bears which read in part: “I was recently informed that I tested positive for an amphetamine after taking a supplement that did not list any banned substances on the label. Although it was not intentional, and I would never knowingly take a banned substance, I recognize that I am ultimately responsible as an NFL player for everything that goes in my body.

“I sincerely apologize to my teammates, the Chicago Bears organization and our fans and can't wait to come back and contribute to my team.”

Wide receiver Deonte Thompson was elevated from the practice squad to take Fabuluje's spot on the 53-man roster, and offensive tackle Martin Wallace was signed to the practice squad.

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